We Never Fall, We Always Jump
by RestlessRuin
Summary: There is a balance to the world that Shen would always yearn to seek for, but its absence only sought to subdue. A collection of KFP2 drabbles.  Update, CH 6 A House, A Home: Shen, Wolf Boss and Soothsayer.
1. pieces

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything Kung Fu Panda, at all, copyright to Dreamworks and the respective writers/directors.

**Other:** The other story I'm working on is still flailing around. Lack of muse, and real life responsibilities have seemed to be really delaying it, which I apologize for. School will soon be done, and I'll finally be able to concentrate on it! In the meantime, I've had random bursts of muse and a need to write something KFP related. This isn't a story, more like drabbles that will form a collection of sorts.

I hope you enjoy these, as they will be character-centered. I'll take one word suggestions if any of you reviewers feel up to it. For example, throwing out words like: pet, defiance, lust, or whatever, I'll pick one and write whatever my muse deems exciting *shrugs*, otherwise I'll have more bursts with their respective one-word titles either way. These are intended to be Shen-centered, but I might play around with some of the other characters in the KFP world. :)

~Cheers!

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><p>The sun had yet to rise. Into the far distance of the sky the moon shone brightly, pale and crisp edges. To the bottom of the valley every household remained still and quiet. Silence inhabited the landscape, except for the sharp winds winding through the mountain's claws and sheared edges.<p>

Off a beaten path the sound of breath and movement resounded. Sharp steel, feathers, metals that went _clack_ with each step.

He'd been practicing for two hours. The cold air made it hard to breathe at first. Quickly the heat generated in his body provided enough warmth as his movements flowed faster after the other. The white, former prince was trying to force the world away from himself with each step, thrust and slice of the Guan Dao in his grasp.

It was meditation in its most deadly form, a form trapped inside Shen's head that could never truly find balance with the ethereal beauty of the surrounding mountains. Especially during night, while the moon sat and watched above in the sky cold and emotionless. Instead of finding peace outside the confines of his brain, each stroke and parry twisted deep thoughts inside of him. He found meditation in his desire to want so badly, to need, to accomplish his goals that they reflected the perfection he sought in his martial practice.

He retracted himself like a spring coiling underneath pressure. The weapon held between both hands, and across the breadth of his chest, appeared soft for the second that it was cradled in his hands. It made its distinct cry once Shen launched it forwards, angled towards the sky as it cut through the air.

The moonlight made him ghostly, and his eyes reflected nothing but the demon inside.

After a moment of stillness, holding that same position, he relaxed. The shadows not far from him had morphed into a wolf, a wolf that remained still and quiet to his back with just as equally red eyes. This presence irritated him for a moment, but as he gathered his mind it passed quite quickly.

"Lord Shen." This phrase brought a dull ache to his head, a phrase that often accompanied the incompetence of his subordinates. While the heat rolled off his body and into a cool _fog_, he shifted his head enough so that he could capture the burly, spiked edges of Wolf Boss.

But when no other words followed through, Shen finally stepped around to scrutinize him face-to-face.

_What had happened? Another explosion, rioting villagers, imperial spies?_

"Well?"

"A messenger's appeared at the gates. Says he's from the Black Lotus syndicate, refusing to talk to anyone else but you, _sir_."

Shen's eyes narrowed.

"You're not actually considering it, are you?" This broke his concentration, scowling briefly as he held the weapon naturally by his side.

"A fool would pursue his goals blindly without resources. Ours are fairly temporary, if you _haven't_ noticed." The bits of ire and sting flattened Wolf Boss' ears.

"Resources we **can't** trust."

"Resources _I_ will manipulate. Is there a reason why you doubt me…?"

"I would never doubt you," he barked. Wolf Boss' eyes burned wildly at the accusation.

"Good. Now, if you haven't already made preparations for our guest have them made." Wolf Boss held his tongue, he knew better. Months had passed since Lord Shen's exile, and despite these months the Lord increasingly appeared insecure. He would never abandon him, Wolf Boss had engraved this into his psyche, yet the Lord continued to exhibit these suspicions regardless.

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><p>Lord Shen had always been incredibly meticulous about his appearance. Blessed by his royal heritage he grew up within the luxury of expensive clothing, and equally expensive customs propelled by royal expectations. Regardless of where he had settled for the time being, he had the means and vanity to supply himself with these similar, luxurious possessions.<p>

This included the scarlet silk robe he was wearing, jet black embroidery on the ends and sleeves. He had washed himself of the grime from his previous activities, and wore a brisk and mild perfume. Patiently he sat as the servant applied kohl on the edges of his eyes.

By the time he was prepared the arrangements to the household had already been made, waiting on his command. The building itself represented a decent castle, although one not as large and aesthetically crafted as Gongmen's. Small in terms of other kingdoms and fiefs, however large enough to suit his needs in the far reaches of the mountains.

He entered one of the main chambers that had been prepared, where his guest had been sitting soundly at a table, cloaked. On his arrival the stranger stood up, and bowed before Shen. This gesture was unusual, given the fact that months had passed and only spiteful, fearful townsmen and women glared and stiffly bowed to him by force.

They both sat then, across the table from one another where food was starting to be served.

"You have given me the honor of speaking with you."

"As a vessel of the Black Lotus, there must be a reason why you have requested this audience."

The creature's face remained hidden by the hood, but in the good light of the room the large feline was revealed by its stripes and colors. Orange and black, gold eyes glinting with a very faint grin.

"We have considered your plans. Although to be fair you cannot expect us to comply with all of your demands."

"I find them reasonable," he said flatly.

"With all due respect, the council does not take orders. Especially from a youth such as yourself; you cannot expect them to value you, without having _proven_ yourself." Shen hardened himself. Subconsciously his neck lengthened at this accusation, his head erect, crown and crest twitching with the urge to flare in response. With his hands intertwined within his robe, he briefly grazed one of his throwing knives.

The servants were ordered to leave the room.

He might have offered how far he would go to pursue his ends. But that subject was far too fresh and raw to touch on. Having felt justified for his actions, his was a mindset that told him he was vouching for the glory and future of prosperity and power. Shen could at least grasp, see how anyone, even the messenger could mistake his actions as juvenile and foolish. At least he could convey their narrow scope and dull perspectives, reassuring himself that one day he would broaden their limited capacities.

"Therefore, they are willing to negotiate. In other words, test you, Lord Shen."

"What are the arrangements?" His voice felt dry, the urge to pull out of the agreement and silencing the messenger for good tugged viciously inside.

"They are fair, let me assure you… We will provide the expertise to mine these mountains. You need sustainability, and in return you will share the progress of this new invention and its results." Shen's anger bristled into a calloused laugh.

"Far more than mining! Mining is it? I need chemicals, proper lab equipment and supplies for my army."

"Well of course, in due time."

"The weapon will only be available _once_ I have taken Gongmen…" Shen's gaze and voice remained steady, while his heart pounded deep inside.

"And how then, do you suggest we can be guaranteed that your end sees through."

"I'll have reports available every two months or so. I believe correspondence through scientific progress will satisfy the raw results." Scientists, scholars, the council would have no problem finding. Replicating small scale experiments would at least satisfy this new knowledge for carnage.

"And an overseer," the feline chimed. Shen smiled sharply.

"Of course."

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><p>The messenger came bearing gifts before he left that very night. So far several negotiating factors had been left on the table as the stranger left, factors Lord Shen would mull over endlessly, among other things. These gifts were mostly forgotten for by the peacock, finding that by their presence he was now entering into a business deal that could either threaten or propel his work into motion. He would rather ignore such tribulations for the simple fact that he was tired now, emotionally drained and <em>alone<em>.

Though these moments of stillness proved far and in between. Wolf Boss eventually made his way through the castle, tentatively regarding Shen as he stared into the large, printed map of China.

"They think they can control everything," Shen said.

"See what they want, control _fire_." Everything was relative to Shen. As long as there was money to be had, or a method of demonstrating power, people would always be willing to listen. His parents respected the world for what they saw it to be, a balance of forces. Perhaps they saw the inconsistencies, but whatever they believed failed to recognize what the world really was, what he was. They could not contain what they sought to mold.

His stare had finally turned into a sharp glare, and failed to change once he brought his gaze to Wolf Boss.

"Ah… - fire?" The glare remained. Shen's eyes narrowed on the wolf, which only made him feel far more helpless than he already felt. Eventually Shen ignored the comment before he huffed quietly and said, "Why are you here?"

"Thought you wanted to know what the messenger left behind." He shrugged.

"Maybe tomorrow morning..."

"I ah- …" Wolf Boss remained apprehensive. Finding the right words appeared crucial, but as the pause lengthened he opted for an option most familiar to him. "Right, so I was thinking about the past few months… and where we are now. I also wanted to… just, _talk_."

"There's really no reason to."_He didn't want to_.

Perhaps Wolf Boss would have complied, but as Shen began moving past him his voice hoped to reconnect with his Lord, with his _friend_.

"Shen." A paw reached out for his shoulder and stopped him from leaving. "Don't think for a second that you carry this burden alone." Without any real cause Wolf Boss was overcoming his hesitancy for the better part of his anger. "You have us, you have me. We have all made sacrifices, we are the damned in their eyes but you give us reason to pursue a belief that will change the _course of history_." Subconsciously his grip had tightened. It was so much more than a single belief, it was an idea, an idea that had spread its roots and infected the minds of his soldiers, himself, Shen…

The pale creature remained mute, cut-off, estranged from the wolf as he shrugged Wolf Boss' hand away and disappeared beyond the doorway.

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><p><strong>End Notes:<strong> Reviews and comments very much appreciated! x3


	2. parents

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything Kung Fu Panda, at all, copyright to Dreamworks and the respective writers/directors.

**Notes:** Thank-you for your reviews! I'm glad you've liked it so far. :) _TotallyElena_ gave out some words, and I got trapped on parents… Thanks! :3 It's pretty short, and maybe I would've liked to delve deeper into it, but overall I had fun making this.

~Cheers!

**Characters:** Shen, Soothsayer

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><p>Everything came crashing down on Shen. He barely had the time to block the series of attacks from the wooden staff of his opponent, forgetting to breathe, to think.<p>

After a few more seconds he realized how far he had retreated, it was then that he felt himself watching the match outside of his body, no control. The pains and protests of his muscles usually drowned in raw adrenaline and focus; today they had defied these boarders. They stiffened with fatigue; every reaction was becoming jarring and rough, frustrating the youth as his spirit sought to pursue while his body continued to defy him.

One-two-three-_thrust_-fake-two-one-three…

He had yet to make a counter against the older, far experienced peacock. Shen had become afraid to meet the eyes pushing him back, the source of precision that was easily stripping down his foundations and exploiting his weaknesses.

Four seconds had passed, four seconds disconnected from himself, Shen parried sideways in a circular movement when an unexpected force shoved him on that same side.

And he fell, straight on his back. There was no time to recover, let alone think about getting back up somehow. The wooden staff was pointed strait at his face; he stared at it with the sound of his heart exploding in his ears with each pump.

He felt those same eyes on him, ignoring the bruises forming underneath his feathers. He failed to recognize the stiffness in his arms and legs, or his hands as they trembled against the ground. The staff was not poised to make contact however, giving up its confrontation by gesturing a wing to take its end.

Shen hesitated, recovering slowly from the cocktail of shock, defeat, and humiliation obscuring his thoughts. Blindly he reached for it, holding on and using the majority of its pulling force to stand. Again he refused to look up into the eyes ahead, quickly veering his gaze to the floor.

Feathers reached up to him nonetheless. A grip on his shoulder meant to reassure him.

"I-." he stumbled on his words, trying his best to fight against the well of emotions spewing out from his chest.

"You panicked," said his father. Such a voice held a substance like no other, calm, resolute in spite of how long they had already been training. Shen nodded quietly, and stiffened when he finally met his father's gaze.

"Do you understand why I went as hard as I did?"

_To test me?_ He thought. Shen had wanted so badly to show his father how far he had progressed since Master Rhino's instruction. Years of hard work appeared useless, shattered and swept away to reveal the bare ineptness inside of him. Shen knew himself well enough that he would go above and beyond what society expected. Although the outcomes had said otherwise; he was mediocre if not less, what had he proved today besides his fear and clumsiness?

Without saying a word his father continued.

"You can never prepare enough, Shen. There will always be someone stronger, faster, or technically superior. I want you to adapt to any of these circumstances. Fear will not solve them."

"But I-, I couldn't stop it," he breathed, trembling a bit with the exhale. "I thought that you would…"

He actually thought his father would kill him during certain points of the spar. A movement that came too close from smashing his limbs, or claws that nearly ripped his flesh away had all accumulated into a frantic state of defense; ducks, blocks and parries…

"Good." His father smiled, grinned even as Shen's face flashed with disbelief. "That's what I mean. There's a reason why you panicked, I wanted you to feel, to be consumed by that state as much as possible." His father chuckled quietly as he broke contact and turned around. Amused by his son's imagination; is that what he really thought?

"Come, we'll end it off with some action-reaction." Shen was apprehensive, confused by his father as he followed him towards the centre of the training hall. Feeling weak, tired and quite frankly, _sad_. It didn't matter what his father thought, what he did think; Shen had failed in some way all the same. He refused to ask his father, to prod him, for the simple fact that he had become too proud to admit his weaknesses. Shen refused to think that society; the court's men, the clan members and the city folk, were right all along.

The two peacocks started off slow. His father would attack; Shen would block it, re-direct it and counter. They switched off, two and two, slow and methodical though increasing in speed as the seconds flew. Shen's concentration finally kicked in, his movements becoming less robotic and quickly followed after the flow of his father. The attacks became more intricate, each counter followed the same. Soon the youth's sadness had shoved itself in some corner in his head, and he had become fully involved with the training exercise.

"That's it," his father would say. "Good."

It lit a small spark as they began to move more with their feet. The wooden staffs making contact, sliding off one another and redirecting the energies of each movement. Like dancers acrobatics weaved itself in their technique, the rhythm settled before many minutes afterwards they finished soundly.

After he bowed Shen looked up to see his father smiling. A small one; his father rarely ever smiled, it confused him.

"My lord." A familiar voice broke his gaze, where the Soothsayer with many of her own frequent smiles stood between them, just slightly a far. "I believe you've kept Shen well past his bedtime!"

"Nana!" His crest flared, blushing. She came hobbling closer, settling with her hands rested on her cane.

"My deepest apologies, Soothsayer." Shen was still glaring at her.

"We'll see in the morning," she sighed. "Oh?"

"He can be quite the handful, mind you, when he _doesn't_ get his sleep." Both of them had their eyes on him, Shen's face deadpanned.

"Very well, but I'm afraid this is the only time I'll see him." The old goat nodded, as the two peacocks addressed each other.

"Two times a week, is that reasonable?"

"Yes!" Shen nearly shouted, clamping his mouth shut and saying, "Yes, that's very reasonable…"

Shen's father bid the two farewell before retreating to his chambers. Shen went ahead as the Soothsayer trailed behind him.

"Are you all right?" Shen had been subconsciously messaging the muscles of his other wing while they walked. "Hm?" He didn't feel the pain much anymore, the aching or stiffness had no longer become a concern as he mentally went through the spar in his head. Before realizing what was happening the Soothsayer had his wing in her hands, preventing him from moving away. She brushed against white feathers, spotting bruises. "Nana…," he grunted as she inspected the muscles, wincing as she hit the knots dead on.

"Perhaps in the morning- ."

"I'll be fine." She glanced up to see a very tired, worn face. "The bath will help…"

She gently gave up the arm, although made a note of Shen's current state. She didn't underestimate his health, especially since the colds and infections he'd been accustomed during childhood proved rare and mild nowadays. It was good to have the young prince see his father more often, even if it meant later hours into the night; except she could see the amount of determination in him, the perfection he pursued in everything he endeavored. It wouldn't do him any good to wear himself out, especially when that seemed to encourage illness all together; regardless of who it was, one person can only do so much on their own.

"Are you hungry?"

"Just a bit."

"Good, I'll see you soon then." Shen watched curiously after the goat, suspicious of his nanny. There wasn't any reason for her to be so concerned, was there?

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><p>He craved sleep, and yet, he despised it all the same. Shen couldn't remember ever having a good night's rest, but he refused to tell anyone otherwise. It would just worry them; worry the Soothsayer, his parents… He wanted to tell his father that his fear wasn't just a reaction, a mere defense. He dreamt of his own death often, thinking once that you could only die so many times in dreams and be used to it, but he just never did. Having been so close to the wrath of his father, although as controlled as it was, cracked the walls of such imaginations and dreams into a blistering reality.<p>

As he lied in bed his stomach turned. His eyes stared out into the dim light, keeping the sheets and pillows close to him because they were soft, soothing, warm and all over. The darkness played tricks with his eyes, the flickering of the fire from the candles made the shadows dance all about. Black eyes that fell into oblivion would sometimes appear out of nowhere, demons of all sorts and sizes dancing with a glee that only irked Shen from time to time. He could stand the illusions his mind wrought before him, it was only as he slept that he would become caged and trapped.

At last the Soothsayer made her way in. She had with her a small bowl of congee, a type of porridge that looked like it was sweetened with apricots. Hunger finally came back to his senses, and he found himself grateful of the elder.

"There we go."

"Thank-you…" Her smile seemed just as worn as he felt, while he reached for the bowl itself. "How did you find the session?"

"It was… different." He sighed. "Where is my mother?"

"One of the shelters, I believe." This seemed to irritate the prince. "Why?"

"She's always been like that."

"Yes, I know that, it just seems bizarre that she would want to spend so much time with peasants and commoners." With that he shoveled a spoonful in his mouth, staring at the porridge.

"It's part of her duties, Shen. The royal family-."

"- serves the needs of its people _first_." With a mild snort he met the eyes of the Soothsayer. It wasn't that he was accusing her of anything, just the idea and thought of those words instead.

"Regardless of where someone comes from, everyone holds something that is worthwhile. While your mother, yes, may not be as conventional in regards to the upper class, she is her own. Do you see that Shen? She carves her own path, and that path is filled with justified reasons. Perhaps if you asked h-."

"Why would I? It wouldn't make a difference." The Soothsayer paused, feeling as if she had completely turned her intentions of calming the prince down completely backwards. That and having been cut off by the youth did not impress her mood.

"There's no harm in trying," she said with a tone that prevented Shen from commenting. He just bristled underneath her eyes and went back to eating.

The rest of their exchange involved nothing at all, except for the silence itself. It provided Shen with the time to cool off, and for the Soothsayer to take a step back from their engagement. She understood how careful she had to be with words, since Shen took most things quite literally. Sometimes, she couldn't help but sense that her own intentions would misguide her. When Shen took a stance, he only took one stance and one perspective. Trying to force calmness or happiness in itself was sure to fail, though seemed occur when she least expected it.

Without realizing it Shen had already placed the bowl away, and remained sound asleep. She watched quietly as he did, after each breath, the clear illusion of calmness swept across his features. Closing her eyes for a moment, feeling at a loss of total and complete energy for herself, she opened them and stood up from the chair she had sat in. She tucked the prince without waking him, grazed his cheek like she had always done when he was much smaller, and disappeared from the room after blowing each candle out.

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><p><strong>End Notes:<strong> Again, reviews and comments are very much appreciated! If you have any other words to fling out there, go right ahead if you want. Otherwise I hoped you enjoyed this. x3


	3. ties and a touch

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything Kung Fu Panda, at all, copyright to Dreamworks and the respective writers/directors.

**Notes:** Again, thank-you for your reviews! Every bit means a lot to me. For this segment I already had most of it planned out before the second chapter. Thanks for those of you who shared some words, which I'll definitely come back to at some point. I always wondered if peacock's lost their feathers, but _Seaside Fantasies_ had mentioned when, and I'll definitely be looking that up!

There are two segments to this part, which are totally on their own and cover different areas. I admit I was a little apprehensive about the last part, but I gave it a shot anyways. It does contain some sexual content, but nothing explicit.

~Cheers!

**Characters:** Shen, Wolf Boss

**Warnings: **First Part 'ties' deals with some blood, and I guess what would be deemed 'disturbing'. Just in the sense that there is violence, in case you wish not to be exposed to it.

Second Part 'a touch' deals with sexual material. Nothing is described explicitly, except for the fact that it is addressed and explored in terms of how the character views it.

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><p><strong>TIES<strong>

"I have reason to believe…"

Shen fiddled with a throwing knife as he paced from one side of the room to the other.

Amidst his presence was a family of yaks that had been forced onto their knees, hands bound. The father, the former head chef and foods coordinator, was paired with his wife before the lord. His only children, three of them, were similarly bound behind their parents frightened.

"… a fraction of our supplies have been _missing_ after we've received our shipments."

He sighed, addressing the rather impressive creature kneeling on the floor. "I'm not quite sure that you would agree with me." The yak's face hardened, he inhaled before meeting the peacock's eyes.

"I recorded what was brought to us, I found no inconsistencies."

"You _failed_ to find them." Shen's voice became sharp. His head motioned for one of the wolves to hand Shen a scroll filled with charts. Browsing through it briefly he closed it and stood, staring at the Yak while he grasped it in his hands. "If you would… _enlighten_ me then, how this simple mistake could have possibly occurred?"

The yak's eyes warred between defiance and defeat. Among them the palace's servants, mainly the crew who prepared and managed the food, stood lined up behind them. He understood what this was, this show of power, it was this infection of fear on Lord Shen's stage that injected silence among his fellow co-workers and underlings into a vice grip.

When words failed the yak, Shen swept his eyes across the staff with a stifled laugh. "Anyone?"

It was amusing to Shen, this resiliency imbedded in the villagers. They were working together; they were supporting each other with their secrets. He could see it in some of their eyes, the strength they sought to compose against him, this force. They thought they could wait it out, bear it like a meager storm.

He would break them.

"Well now, how unfortunate. The blame I believe, is yours."

At that moment three wolves made their way towards the children, forced them up and shoved them towards the forefront of the meeting. "Papa!" Their voices heightened for a moment before becoming smothered in silence by their own uncertainty.

When both adults tried to get up, the wolves nearest kept them down and still.

"Don't you dare-!" The other end of a spear hit him on his side. The yak grunted, keeling just slightly as he kept a furious gaze on Shen, standing slightly off from the children.

"You should be grateful… I'm giving you three chances to tell me where the supplies have gone to. I think it's rather – generous." Shen glanced on the three youths, a sly grin creeping its way through. He watched, as the youngest clung to the oldest; the little one looked about five, the middle seven, and the eldest ten. Their eyes held on to their mother, who seemed to reassure the youth as best as she could with low, soft words, forcing her gestures to be calm.

He finally came back to their father, though his eyes remained closed as his teeth grit. When a fair amount of time had settled, along with the amount of intensity in the room, he merely stared out from where he was kneeling without a word.

"That's two."

It happened fast. The eldest child was shoved forwards and broke away from the youngest one, who couldn't help but squeal and sob in the clutches of a wolf. Then there was blood, lots of blood that spilled from the eldest child's neck into a fountain. Shock engulfed the parents, didn't breathe, even the staff as they stiffened, as they closed their eyes and while some of them murmured in response.

The woman wailed uncontrollably as she watched, in horror as the life drew out of her son. She struggled against the wolves that held her back, crying out the name of her boy who had since fell to the floor. She wanted to hold him, cradle him.

Their father cried out as well, his was sorrow breaking into the chaotic scene. Cracking, as though his voice had curled deep inside of him, twisted in pain – and helpless to bear it.

It wasn't quite delight that Shen had taken to in this matter. It was far more complicated than the mere trivialities of loss and pain itself. The raw emotions escaping this family fulfilled something inside of him, a raging complexity that would satiate a missing part, an invisible string coated in death and ruin.

"I-," quivered the chef, gasping for air, trembling in rage. "They're only children!"

"Please, please… -_oh gods_!" She gasped.

"Well?" Shen's wing gestured towards their bloody offspring, mock disbelief playing along his face with a jovial laugh that broke into the conversation. "It's fairly simple. Tell me, and end this."

When the woman kept on pleading, Shen rolled his eyes and addressed those who were present. "Do you see what happens when you steal from me?" He now scanned the crowd with cutting eyes. "My supplies feed families as well. Assuming that you might benefit from them is a poor assumption…" He glanced back at the second child.

"I believe the second chance no longer holds."

"WAIT! No, please wait…" The wolf had its knife pressed against the child's neck, yanking its head up in the process by its long fur.

Partaking in a great deal of curious interest in the yak, Shen came closer, tilting his head just slightly up.

"I'll tell you, just, don't hurt them. Don't hurt them..."

"That depends." They met, and the yak could see how very clearly the eyes ahead of him burned.

"They've been stowed away in a cave, off a beaten path heading south. It's… it's on the Highland Sun pass." The white peacock appeared satisfied.

"You'll escort my men, and in the meantime your wife and children will be held in the cells…" Shen paused, his gaze drawing over the still figure of the child and the puddle of blood now on the floor. "Have one of the servants take care of this." He waved his hand dismissively towards the body.

As he left the yaks were taken away. Meanwhile a party of wolves were given orders to accompany the chef to retrieve the stolen goods, leaving the fortified castle in haste.

* * *

><p>"And the rest of them?"<p>

"I'll have the mother and father execute in due time…," Shen was at his working desk, while Wolf Boss paced and skimmed the maps of the mountain terrains, of the nearest cities and their trading routes.

"They're yours if you wish." Wolf Boss had become adamantly focused on the maps; into the paths his men had been on surveillance and scouting, keeping an eye out for bandits and any other unwanted attention. "What was that?"

"The yaks, I said you could have them." The wolf easily caught on to Shen's annoyance, although didn't feel any need to compensate for it. They discussed in this room, bickering wasn't a common occasion although Shen was prone to bark at him from time to time. It had lent off an air of ideas and plans, which both men strove for.

"Nice." His men would be pleased. Fresh meat was scarce, and the town's people would never hope to sustain his pack. Although prisoners, whether they be local or foreign travelers, provided decent morsels; more like dessert within the mountains. His ears pricked while he glanced back at Shen.

"What about the children?"

"I'm sure the doctor will appreciate them." Wolf Boss wasn't startled, just skeptical. He'd rather have them for his pack, but the idea of having this doctor with them – as a practitioner, scientist, and overseer – provided many levels of suspicion, questions of loyalty and harm into his mind. Despite how much Shen loathed this word, he spat it out anyways.

"Why?"

"Because he _needs_ them. Supplying our – _guest _- with his wishes, will set his mind elsewhere… We won't have to worry about him as much as we do now." Shen did not compromise, he manipulated. The time would come when he would no longer worry about the contract he had in place with the Black Lotus. Nonetheless, it was very difficult and a rather delicate matter to be dealing dice with.

Wolf Boss was not convinced, and had set to glare at him instead. "Like two of them will keep him occupied? He doesn't even have subjects, but he's still milling away in the lab as busy as ever. Perhaps even a bit more than you do – which is A LOT. And he still manages to sniff up our asses whenever he chooses!"

"We'll see when we give them to him, won't we then?"

"This is stupid, dumb! We should just kill him, and be do-."

"It's being **patient**." Shen's voice was even, calm, save for the exhale that rolled over into a seething hiss. "Patience." His eyes sharpened. He knew some measure of tact was required to play this money game, rather than pure aggression alone.

"The town on the other hand, I feel, will not bow as easily as I had hoped."

Wolf Boss nodded. "We still have two leads, I'm sur-."

"Regardless of who, or how, I find it intriguing. Don't you?"

"Sure…" It was annoying for Wolf Boss, at least a part of it was besides terrorizing the locals.

"To see them tearing each other a part…" He smiled, perhaps playfully at that instant. "We'll build the garden, plant the seeds… and watch." Of course, Shen understood the amount of time and efforts he would have to take to ensure this. He only saw the challenge.

"You sure about that?"

"There's nothing different about this community, or its people. Together they may be strong, but alone they are just as vulnerable as any other living creature, man or woman."

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2: A TOUCH<strong>

Shen hardly ever indulged in women. He had no means of having a relationship other than a sexual one. These vessels allowed him to relinquish what all other creatures and animals desired at one point or another. Especially when the mating season wafted by, and the body has a means to reproduce whether or not one's mind is in synch.

At the heart of the peacock clan's capitol, Shen had found his means to supply this urge. Every spring a meeting occurred, and after years of waiting and coming up with a proposal they had finally relented. Without their ruling position in Gongmen thousands of yen had immediately trickled out of the clan's possession. Land ownership, which included anything from natural resources to farming and agriculture no longer belonged to them. Regardless of what his parents had thought, what their duties had been, not all members of the clan appreciated their powers being yielded to the Master's Council.

With a legitimate excuse to travel to the capitol, Shen had his options.

He had picked his consort; she appeared and performed her arts. Although the act itself represented a purely physical means for Shen, being close with someone so intimately sparked a yearning inside of him, one that did not involve bloodshed and war. Even the mere heat generated from the body underneath him seemed to sooth him beyond the pleasure he experienced, lavishing the female and himself into a unified spirit – if just for a false second or two. Having consumed this individual, this stranger went beyond the aspect of complete control and power.

After its height, as he lay in bed with the peahen his hands would stroke her neck or brush her cheek. He would stare as she slept into the night, while he felt himself disconnect and numb all over. So close to _love_, and so incredibly lost and cut off. He would have said it was his lust, but his heart lurched inside of him. He knew what it must feel like, but all he had was a poor reflection or imitation of what it was. And it was poison, it was wonderful and addicting.

Sometimes they would subconsciously lean in to his hands, shift closer to his body. It made his heart flutter, he'd kiss them quietly. And if mood permitting, he would lie down and fall asleep soundly. In the morning they disappeared, the sheets, the room hollow and mocking him for believing that he could love so easily and hope to contain it, pieces perhaps. But these dreams were just that.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong> I'm never really sure how to gage the warnings, or the rating. If there's any complaints please tell me via the private msging.

I think the only reason I posted the last part, was because I thought it reflected that loneliness present. But that's just me. :P Anyways, I hope you liked it, despite me experimenting with different scenes and concepts. Your reviews and comments are always appreciated,

~R.R (Rue)


	4. follow me follow you

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything Kung Fu Panda, at all, copyright to Dreamworks and the respective writers/directors.

**Notes: **Thank-you for your reviews! And those of you sticking around. I really appreciate that. :) Thanks _Hymenocallis Caribaea_ for pointing out some of the grammatical stuff, I'll have to go through that chapter. I admit I get really excited to post these… :P Thanks for sharing some words, which I'll definitely use in the sometime future to my muse's will. :3

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><p>The village appeared quiet with the setting sun, a warm goodbye to the earth's inhabitants with a gentle kiss. A day of warmth, a day of summer, the heat quietly radiated from the ground as twilight consumed the sky. Houses and huts, fences and gates engulfed within monochromatic hues of blues and highlights of reds to pinks. The occasional gold outline reflected the sinking sun in its return to the earth.<p>

Off a beaten path just nearly outside the reaches of this village, a goat had finished packing her things. She did not carry much, save for the old book of natural medicines and herbs she religiously carried, some ink and a brush. She was a simple creature on the outside, just beyond her prime with a depth of knowledge she had learned to carry with her throughout most of her life.

She had taken the day to study a new herb she had found. Besides taking the time to draw the herb in its natural place, take observations of where and how she had found it, she had also gathered it in a satchel slung across her chest. Since it favored growing beside the rivers, the constant flow and trickling of water had since become the pace and direction of her focus. For that reason she had lost track of time, had lost her own mind in her focus to re-enter into the world of twilight, among forest and brush.

Satisfied with her findings, and having found the joy in her heart to enjoy these simple pleasures of life, she was set to go. But a sound that did not quite mimic the waters, or the brush and trees immediately caught her attention. Not too far away she spotted a strange creature, colours everywhere had implanted itself onto this individual. When her hand tentatively drew upon the body, she realized rather curiously, that it was no natural colour. Indeed, as she stared at her hoof for a few more seconds she watched as the wet, colourful inks dripped down her hands.

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><p>The first contact was his eyes, red, wide at first, before they sunk back into suspicion and uncertainty. She could tell as she watched soundly beside the hearth, just a few feet away from the bed.<p>

For several minutes the only sound was the low crackle of fire spitting between them. The low light and the movement of the fire gave life to the still objects inhabiting the hut. In time the old goat went back to the fire with a metal poker in her hand, mildly jostling the flames alive when they gave up.

Providing her breath when they faltered, lost without the oxygen they craved, needed.

* * *

><p>She was preparing powders when she heard the sheets rustling in the morning. Lifting her gaze up, she saw the very same eyes she'd seen last night. When the young thing seemed to bristle underneath her scrutiny she smiled, crinkling the skin about her eyes.<p>

"Are you all right?" The youth seemed to hesitate, before shaking his head yes, and stared right after her.

"Good." She turned around and continued working. "There's food on the side there. Take as much as you need." In the background she could hear his movements. Reluctant to move at all, the faded indigo creature reached for the food and ate with several munching sounds. To the goat's surprise the little thing adjusted the blankets around him, and fell right back to sleep for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>In the middle of the night she awoke to sniffling.<p>

At first she thought it was the sheets being moved, perhaps he had finally decided to get up. As her eyes wandered to the bed, all she saw was his huddled body trembling lightly with each sob. Alarmed the goat got up with as much control she could muster, hoping that her urgency would not alarm the boy.

Soon enough she was beside him, her warm hand placed against his covered back.

"Dear, what's wrong?" The body seemed to crumple inwards, refusing to let up.

Distraught the old goat did the only thing she thought would help. She stayed with the boy, rubbing his back as her voice muffled into a lullaby. Beside the fire as the hut took life again, she sung into the night until the sobs had surrendered into slumber, and she too as she leaned against the wall; partially sitting on the bed and drifting quietly with the little stranger.

* * *

><p>Rays of light hit her closed eyes. She awoke to an empty bed and messy sheets.<p>

She stood up, feeling trapped by the walls of her hut without her guest, fear twisting in her gut.

"Boy." Her voice hitched just slightly, before she swallowed hard and swept the room for a second time. _Nothing_. A knock on the door brought her rushing to its entrance, disappointed by the face of one of her regulars. "Soothsayer?" She sighed, forcing a smile.

"What's wrong?" She shook her head, staring beyond the villager and off into the huts behind. "I've lost something."

* * *

><p>The boy had scampered off, searching for the river he had vaguely recalled when he hit the shore and could do nothing from the sheer amount of exhaustion plaguing his body. He remembers bits, being moved by sturdy, firm hands, being placed on a soft warm place and sleeping. He had slept, and it was wonderful.<p>

But he did not belong here, in this small homely village inhabited by goats, sheep, pigs and rodents. Though as he squatted staring into the water, as a warped vision of his face and pale colours smudged in the process, he was reluctant to face his parents, the city, and fate. Immediately, and without a care in mind he imagined how he might continue his journey, despite the fact that this whole incident had happened without his planning. Well, _partially_.

He would travel the countryside, alone, forced to survive without the daily comforts of servants, or the curious eyes of officials. Like the old and wise kung fu masters, he would learn how to fight from the nature surrounding him. A travelling warrior, he thought, capable of any feat, a legend.

These thoughts continued, while his hand briefly touched his face.

The ink did not last, for some reason he had done it wrong and now he looked sickly, pale and odd. It benefited him that his tail feathers had shed all ready, it made him less discernable. No one would really point him out as a peacock; his crest had barely made an appearance save for the odd, messy happenings of feathers sprouting from the back of his head. Regardless, he would have to find more ink, but how would he, where?

He rubbed his cheek, frowning when he moved his hand and the white, natural colour of his plumage stood out.

"My, you've recovered faster than I expected." The goat, partially out of breath appeared on the opposite side of the river. It alarmed the boy, he felt like running away from her, but her smile kept him. The least he could do was thank her.

"I didn't scare you off, did I?" He shook his head, briefly recalling his little fit, and how she had offered her warmth despite knowing very little about him. She sighed, composing herself as she finally sat down with another big smile.

When it finally became awkward for him, the boy spoke. "Thank-you."

She nodded, tilting her head in a little bow. "I was hoping you'd stay longer."

"I have to go," he said immediately. "And why is that?"

He bristled, his feathers ruffling in the process until his hands flew out and he said, "Because!"

"Come now." She scolded, meeting his frustration with a firm front of her own. "Children don't often appear on the river every day in this village. Let alone as well off as you are. You can consider yourself lucky that you didn't drown. Or that you hadn't been picked up by slave traders."

The world was not civilized in these parts. The only protection came within the village reaches, but on its outskirts all manners and sorts of dangers existed. Guards did not patrol every path or forest, out in the wild every creature fought for himself.

"I don't expect you to tell me everything, you don't have to." Her face softened. "But in good conscious how could you expect me to simply let you leave?"

"You don't even know who I am." The boy felt cheated by the goat.

"I don't have to," she laughed. This puzzled him, despite that at any moment he could leave and forget about her, about everything, and move on. "So now you want to imprison me, is that it?"

"Nothing of that sort…" She shook her head, her face becoming serious. "I wanted to warn you before you left."

"Warn me?"

She nodded. "The price for the freedom you seek." It was an assumption, one that had come about as a dream and another that had taken to the fire in her hearth. She could see the future, but all she could do was wait for the future to come to her, not the other way around. No matter how hard she would try, she could not simply pluck the visions she wanted. They came willingly, attached to individuals, encountering the strings fastened to them and being subordinate to the wills of these supernatural forces. Having grabbed the young boy's attention, she laid out a bowl where a piece of his ruined clothing lied at its centre, and a fallen, pale indigo feather rested beside it.

When the powder in her hands hit the two objects it spat like fire crackers, when smoke bloomed from the bowl to form a large cloud. The boy was lost in this rare encounter.

"There is great sadness behind you." Two figures, peacocks, a male and female appeared before something cut through their chests, and the sky filled with clouds and strikes of lightening. "It will end an ancient history, where the soil is tainted and no longer viable. They will search, but in vain, they will be lost in every sense." They erode into a candle, where the flame is snuffed out and left smoldering in the dark. It ends abruptly, surprising the goat, as she blinks into the bowl confused. She thought there would be more, there had to more – like her dreams, but the smoke had settled and the lights had finished their dance.

She glanced at the boy, who had since appeared unconvinced, skeptical.

"It means nothing." Very briefly she allows her uncertainty to surface. There is nothing but the water, and the boy has become impatient. He turns his back when she quickly stands up and stops at the river's edge.

"Those people, they care about you. They will search for you even if it's hopeless, beyond many years, when they will be told that you are dead. They will not stop until they find your body, even if it means they will find your corpse instead. They will worship it regardless with their tears."

She listened to the desperation in her heart, breaking away from her composure and trying to make sense of what she had seen as she continued to speak.

His body stiffened while his legs had stopped moving. But she could not see his eyes; she could not see the internal struggle waging war inside of his mind and heart. The youth balled his hands into fists before he ran off into the thick trees. The forest consumed him, and the Soothsayer could do nothing to stop it.

* * *

><p>Night crept in like a thief; it came with a cold draft sweeping through the hut. The fire refused to stay, so the goat decided to make a large batch of tea, sat in her chair with a cup in hand and stared into the coals.<p>

The rest of the day was slow and uneventful. She treated several villagers who had mild wounds, given fortunes to those who came, and could not wait to retire for the evening. When it finally arrived, as it did now, she would have rather been busy with those very patients than to be sitting idle and useless in her hut. She did not want to face sleep, the darkness, the poison that came with her craft.

Darkness settled well into the night, she was still awake. She failed to hear the door creek open, or the feet that followed through. He had been sitting on the floor beside her as her eyes kept half open. At some point in the night he had grabbed the poker, and a small fire, a warm fire lit up the hut again and made the shadows shiver.

When the shadows and the fire did not grow, increase their size into images and figures, she became rigid and stared directly at the youth. He could feel her eyes dig into his back, making him feel guilty for a reason he could not understand.

"Cowards run away…" He refused to look at her.

In the forest he felt his world tear apart, just slightly. There was a point where he could feel nothing, and there was nothing of nature that could tell him why. He recognized the damned longing that throbbed behind his frozen state; something that must have listened to the old goat… the _witch_ had landed her hook, and now he could not escape her.

That, and he was afraid of the night, afraid of being alone.

* * *

><p>"Gongmen?" The goat held her alarm, save her eyes that fled open as she bit her tongue. The boy looked away, staring at his feet. "Well, we have better start right away!"<p>

"Do we have to?"

"Prince Shen…" She was nervous, very, very nervous. "Yes." The Soothsayer forced herself to be calm, reminding herself that everything would be fine in due time. Indeed, the sooner they got there the better. Keeping the prince in the village would bring suspicion on the town's people, never mind herself. She would be jeopardizing the integrity of the villagers and the village leader, with every day the stakes rose and the fall became steeper.

As a result of Shen's true identity the information reached the village leader. An immediate town meeting was called, and decisions to escort the Prince back to his home city began at once. Refusing to leave the Soothsayer's side, they left together with the escort. A messenger was sent ahead of them, providing news of the Prince's whereabouts.

Later that day Gongmen guards intercepted the group. The following morning they made it through the city gates unharmed. The Soothsayer could easily sense Shen's nervous and anxious air. The atmosphere had its affect on her as well, but she sought to stifle it in the presence of the young boy in hopes of easing his own conflicting emotions. At least he no longer bore the ink that covered him three days ago, revealing pure white and the fair beginnings of red sprouting behind his head; the Prince of Gongmen.

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><p>Shen and the Soothsayer stood before the court doors. An entourage that included the captain of the guard who had intercepted the group, two more soldiers, the village leader, a few members of the village council and the captain of their guard gathered behind them.<p>

Shen's head inclined towards the Soothsayer, who was not obligated or needed in the court room. "Please…" His throat was dry, neglecting to meet her eyes out of the sheer embarrassment consuming him. "… stay with me?"

"Of course." A brief smile lit his face, and quickly disappeared as the doors opened.

The court room was nothing the Soothsayer had ever seen before. The architecture to the décor drew her breath away, and tempted to throw her entire focus off balance in the process. Though remaining resolute she remembered to move along behind the prince up until the steps of the thrown itself, bowing as everyone else did.

Shen bowed and continued to lower himself so that he was kneeling with his face nearly touching the floor, along with his arms. From where the Soothsayer stood she could hear the faint rasp in his voice as he breathed. "My King, father, your son humbly requests that his majesty finds forgiveness for the prince's foolishness. For it is I, Prince Shen that takes full responsibility for these actions that have caused you great damage."

The Soothsayer was not prepared to hear these words. She did not expect this level of vocabulary from the boy, who appeared to have just entered into his adolescence.

She could not see the reaction of the King, nor the Queen as she kept her eyes down. Though the King had since left his thrown, and stood to the right of Shen on the last step. It would have appeared almost territorial as the senior peacock scrutinized his progeny, who remained still save for the barely visible tremors running throughout the course of his son's body.

Keeping his gaze on Shen, the King briefly regarded the following participants. "I wish to speak with my son alone. Lords of the Western Villages, I owe many thanks for the safe delivery of Prince Shen. If you will excuse me, I will address all of you in the evening." The Lords complied, and as they started to leave the Soothsayer could not find the will to leave with them.

Her gaze had traveled back to Shen, discerning whether or not she should go. There was nothing in his eyes that she could read, before one of the servants politely escorted her away and out of the throne room.

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><p><strong>End Notes:<strong> _… to be continued?_

That was my take on the possibility of Shen meeting the Soothsayer later on in his life. At least, the very beginnings of meeting her. I really enjoyed writing this, especially because I found a wealth of muse from Gotye's song 'Bronte'. Which I think really describes the Soothsayer's connection with him. :P It's a warm song… I suggest looking it up, if you're curious!

Again, any and all reviews are welcomed and appreciated. Tell me what you think, or if you have any suggestions for 'words'.

Cheers!

~R.R (Rue)


	5. darkness

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything Kung Fu Panda, at all, copyright to Dreamworks and the respective writers/directors.

**Title:** Darkness (suggested by Seaside Fantasies)

**Characters:** Shen, Tigress and Po, last drabble near the end is Shen centered with a small intro of Wolf Boss

**Notes:** I wrote on the possibility of Lord Shen winning his fight against the Furious Five at the harbor. Hope you enjoy it! And thank-you for your reviews! It definitely adds to my muse and I really appreciate that, thank-you. :) I might decided to continue with these themes or with the previous chapter at some point, but as always I'm way too excited to get these posted out ;P

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><p><strong>[Part 1]<strong>

His work would never end.

Shen repeated this thought as he considered the map sprawled ahead on solid walls. It was an older map marked by the tedious progression of his campaign, chafing against the security hazards crawling about his mind. Regardless of his success he could not pull himself from the fact that several Kung Fu masters continued to escape his reach. From that notion alone he was quite aware of the possibility that the people must be harboring their phantasmal saviors for the sake of hope, and hope alone. Shen snorted – as if any true conviction followed these possibilities. The Kung Fu masters were vastly outnumbered; their defeat seemingly fresh and deep that despite having been a year now the aftermath displayed growing fervor and momentum. Their wounds, he was quite certain, psychological and spiritual only appeared to be festering, poisoning their hearts.

Lord Shen regarded the open terrace then. The city beyond the palace glittered with flashing lights, the howls of the wolf guards as they celebrated a year of victories, and the misplaced laughter escaping the city crowds. It was then that he found himself completely cut off from the world he controlled, watching mildly, scrutinizing the populace in the airy expanse of his abode.

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><p><em>Later that day. <em>

"_I have plans," his voice rumbled. Shen regarded his city, head high, crest flared. _

"_Plans to prosper you and not to harm you… Plans to keep you safe, and protect you against your enemies. Everything I have set before us will have been for your benefit." Half truths filtered these purposed words. Instead of the sinister intent and raw irritability Shen had attributed to his return, his feral mannerisms tightened and focused into the stillness of his eyes and the sharp measure in his gaze. _

"_This year marks a year of rebirth, renewal. From the ashes, I will piece together all the realms into a united country that will stand firm in the face of our enemies. Enemies who seek to steal and pillage, those who will take your homes from you and take your wives and children." He imagined the masters, cloaked perhaps, maybe one but one nonetheless skulking in the crowd. Imagined how his words might burn them. "Sacrifices have been made, not in vain, but by investing into a future that provides our people with the means to flourish and thrive beyond all others." _

_The crowd appeared tentative at first, cautious in light of Shen's unpredictability. But his appearance, his promises were in themselves quite unpredictable. Indeed, as the months drew by the wolves seemed to have restrained themselves with each land taken. Their sense of purpose growing resolute as wealth, from crops to precious metals, started to make their way into Gongmen. Excitement seemed to be blossoming. _

_There was a spark._

* * *

><p>The spark had long gone as he leaned against a pillar. He kept his gaze out and found a small comfort in the cool breeze passing through the terrace. Shen held a glass of wine in his feathers, the bottle abandoned on the centre table was about half full. In the midst of feeling fairly numb the satisfaction of the wind quickly disappeared as the half moon shot through the room. Half of it was lit in moonlight, the other in shadow. Shen glowed by his feathers alone, and regarded another breeze as it seeped through him and brought a shiver down his spine.<p>

The long, airy curtains rustled where they were not drawn back and held. And with that a loud knock hit the space, he pivoted on his feet.

"Lord Shen."

"What is it?" He barked, and watched as the wolf bowed and remained there as he spoke.

"A cloaked figure has been spotted around the palace, sir." The wolf stiffened.

"I came with reinforcements, sir. We can escort-." Shen started to laugh, upsetting the wolf.

"Do you think me afraid?"

"No, m'lord." The wolf had stood up, regarding his King.

"Oh, really?" A mild smile formed on the peacock, holding the glass in both hands before he placed it on the table. "What then, do you think of your supreme ruler?" His voice darkened, the smile was now a neutral expression. Shen was drawn to the shadows in the room, swearing he had just captured the silhouette of another wolf – a familiar, one-eyed spirit. He ignored it.

"Arrogant."

The wolf grunted. Any attempt to take down the figure ended shortly, the wolf fell. Shen's fingers traced the edge of the wine glass as he watched, his other hand relaxed, calm, practiced with the knives at his disposal. The doors creaked shut, he had a visitor.

"Selfish." Each of these fell like thunder, hitting those walls with a heavy, pregnant weight.

"Master Tigress…" He paused in thought. "Would you care for a drink?" He gestured with his hands, when there was naught but silence he smiled crookedly and poured himself another glass.

"He's alive."

Shen took his time lifting the glass to his lips; a light glare crossed his gaze. "What makes you so sure?" Tigress' tail twitched, a low snarl smoldered into the open. "You would have paraded him around the city had you killed him." Rage, she looked away and breathed in slowly. "I would have found him wherever you kept him…"

"I found that incredibly annoying." He said plainly, exaggerating a sigh. "Each time you broke into those cells your desperation grew. The more obvious it became. I find it amusing that you would risk your _precious_ friends in the process. I suppose we both understand what that cost you?" Cruel mirth peppered his last sentence, his seriousness fading into a satisfied smile – reminiscent of the ones he'd killed too easily.

Bright yellow eyes shot up and stared after him. "It wasn't-." Her hands balled into fists before relaxing, she forced the tension out of her shoulders and grew incredibly calm. Shen recognized this, it startled him slightly, unease cautioning him but he was beyond it. The wine glass found the table again as he began drifting into the space of the large room.

"And if you find him?" They locked gazes. "What then?"

"Where is he?" She stated, monotone.

"What you're looking for doesn't exist anymore." Tigress held her stance as he faced her, several steps ahead.

She refrained from repeating herself, instead her eyes spoke quite clearly.

'_Where is Po? Tell me. Now.'_

Shen remained silent, for all his white glory he was prepared to face her.

* * *

><p>There was no snarl as she leapt forwards, running on all fours to close the gap. Every movement is precise and quick. He pivots enough to the side to avoid her attack. She faces him by leaning back and avoiding his train as he continues to swivel. Constantly she is forced to think two steps ahead, quite aware that he too pursues her on a similar mindset. So much that each time it takes her to re-attack, counter, move, move, move, the seconds pull apart the opportunities that allow her to set up her attacks. It is a mind game they play, and regardless of Shen's intellect Tigress is certain that she can find a crack. There is a firm faith in the sight of her perseverance; it's all she has to live for.<p>

Shen avoids making contact with her hands as much as possible, utilizing his blades and striking when she gets too close. A moment opens when he can throw them; all he can get are a few scratches that fuel the female. The pace increases between violent clashes, especially when Shen dons a Guan Dao off the wall. Tigress powers forwards, darting and following his momentum, set on tricking the peacock to relinquish his range. It almost seems impossible with each movement gracefully transitioning to the next. She's being cornered, and without realizing it the spear end comes striking out. Her reflexes flinches her sideways into a crouching position. The blade skims her shoulder, continues forwards and lodges into a wooden wall.

Shen feels a hard impact from Tigress. He meets the cool floor with his back, his neck held down by a vice grip. She has a knee planted firmly on his chest, the other foot on his forearm. He's panting, sharp fear threatens to break through – he settles to face the persistent creature with a cruel crazed laugh. Any attempts to push her off with his metal clad feet subside by the squeezing grip on his neck, silencing him at last.

"Tell me." She said between ragged breaths. Staring as he strained underneath her, head back with labored breaths.

"Now!" The grip loosens slightly; she tries to ignore the creeping smirk on the edges of his mouth.

"The abandoned panda village." She shakes her head. "I've already looked there."

"That's where he is. He hides. You didn't search well enough."

"Hiding…" She growled, digging her knee into him. She was reluctant to believe him. Why would Shen submit so easily? Was it a trick?

Before she could interrogate him further her ears twitched to the sound of several clicks. The door had opened and filtered an amassing cloud of black wolves, a gorilla quickly roared towards her. Tigress hissed underneath her breath and abandoned Shen for the open terrace.

* * *

><p>It took a day and a half to reach the village, crossing mountainous paths and following a familiar trail to the abandoned village.<p>

She was losing hope.

She was lost.

A year had changed her. She could not stop looking, searching, too stubborn to see where her persistence would lead her. There were only two other masters left from the Valley of Peace, two of them long gone and scattered. There were many things she wished she could have prevented, knew that dwelling on them would not change the future but it made her ache.

She got up on her legs, recognizing the sunken rooftops of the village. It was quiet, only the water and swaying of bamboo melted into the air. Snow covered the landscape, her breath swept quietly into the crisp wind.

Remnants of desolation guided her eyes wherever she went. The snow often made the landscape pristine; here it merely hid what was broken and destroyed. She took her time as she wandered throughout the village, vigilant eyes breaking everything she could into any component, any clue she could follow and drag herself forwards in the hopes of finding Po.

The village was empty.

The sun had already started to fall. Her resolve had nearly gone when the sun disappeared from sight. She had driven back from the forest and into the remnants of a house, its roof opening up into large scorched holes. Tigress had grown weary and restless, incredibly agitated by Shen's remarks and haunted by the dull stars glistening before her.

'… _if you find him…'_ There were many scenarios she had already gone through, too many possibilities, several she did not want to face or encounter. It was cowardly of her, afraid to find Po in the imagined states her mind had concocted. _'What then?'_

She snarled. Shen would not win, he couldn't win. He had to be _defeated_.

Her body ached, bruised and cut from her previous fight. All sense of peace eluded her, so much that she forced her stiff body up and started to walk again. Mindless, as she shoved past the bamboo, ignoring the need for stealth and hoping that eventually she'd walk far enough that her legs would give out and her body would shut down. A childish need to scream bubbled up, though as always it merely sat and festered, unsettled and growing as the night went on.

This nightmare would never end. Dull as it may be.

* * *

><p>At some point she had entered a dream.<p>

Thick into the night she gave up her sense of direction. Instead Tigress followed nothing, and eventually her legs gave out and her body stopped shivering. She dreamt of nothing, it was wonderful.

When she awoke from the dream she was warm and comfortable. She'd been sleeping on a bed constructed out of wood and hay for a mattress, wool blankets and a crackling fire at the end of the room.

There he was.

To the stove that attached to the fire, where a large pot boiled with rich scents.

She wasn't sure what she should have felt. The initial shock was numbing, paralyzing. She wanted to say his name, she wanted to walk up, hug him perhaps, or yell at him. After holding her breath she decided to get up. The wound on her shoulder was bandaged; she glanced at the handiwork briefly before she stood facing his back.

Tigress' hand reached for his shoulder, her eyes searching for his familiar face to fill her gaze. But what she felt when she placed her paw on him, beyond patchwork black and white, was dead and lifeless. There was hardly a response as the panda continued stirring; she could barely see his face because the shadows hid him well from where she stood. She felt broken.

Why hadn't she fallen yet?

Where was her anger when she needed it most? To fill this insecurity crashing all over?

"Po?" A pitiful whimper spat out from her mouth. She didn't recognize her own voice; it was incredibly foreign.

**[**_**fin**_**]**

* * *

><p><strong>[Part 2]<strong>

Shen saw him often, in many forms, in dreams and in consciousness.

He made him believe it, finally grasp what he'd become, what he'd always been. Shen did not find horror in these realizations as they once did. He accepted them, accepted what his parents had driven far away as they possibly could. It wasn't a matter of higher thinking either; he didn't have to belittle himself to think that his ways were beyond the compassionate wills of their society. He merely praised efficiency, and efficiency paved his path in red. It spilled, and nothing could soak up the red; perhaps that's what frightened most of them, the responsibility that stained his hands.

Shen remained unmoved by the spirit. The Wolf Boss apparition fulfilled its share of sleepless nights and frequent anxieties, regardless Shen reserved a singular hate for the soul. And somehow this hate would drive the thing away when it came, but it would always come back and bear it from time to time.

"_Shen."_ The whine started out and clawed at his head.

Shen excused himself from the banquet, approaching the guarded halls to his room. The door closed and the lit candles quivered as the voice sought for him. _"Shen."_

He stood tall, neck craned as his hand grasped his head from the pounding ache reaching a grating halt.

"Go." He rasped. The overbearing revulsion for the entity did not stop it. Shen reached his bed, lying ungracefully and basking in the darkness as the candles dwindled and reached their ends.

"Damn illusion." He spat.

"_Ssserved you…"_

"No, one does not serve for all that he betrays." He felt a sharp, ripping pain along his side. He understood he hadn't been cut because it had happened before. Nonetheless Shen's right hand clutched his side in response.

"_Cared for."_

"You abandoned everything," he said breathlessly. He rested uncomfortably against silk sheets curling himself inwards, allowing his eyes to drop half-lidded. "You abandoned me, when I _needed_ your confidence most. Do you understand, you dull dog?"

"_Shen."_ His side still ached; his breathing became shallow as those words seemed to curl around him like a cocoon.

The apparition knew better than to drive his host completely insane. It finally felt justified for a moment, even as its once friend burned with hatred and resented him. It saw pain in Shen's body, it saw reactions and it was pleased by these. It gently left the once prince, once exiled, now king.

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><p><em><strong>Reviews and your feedback are appreciated. Hope you enjoyed those two little drabbles.<strong>_

_**R.R ~Rue**_


	6. A House, A Home part 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything Kung Fu Panda, at all, copyright to Dreamworks and the respective writers/directors.

**Here's another! Thank-you for your reviews. Lately I've been really busy so it's likely that I'll only be able to address you guys here really. I hope you enjoy this one, I really wanted to centre around these three characters and their shifting dynamics as a whole in the 'what if' scenario of surviving Po's encounter. I don't have a name for Wolf Boss, simply because I've preferred it that way so far… -shrugs-**

**Characters: Shen, Wolf Boss, Soothsayer**

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><p>He was alone in a room when he woke up. Realized this by drawing his hands across the mattress and feeling the hard edges of wood at either side of him; with nothing but the low crackling from a fire he could discern no others.<p>

Shen swore his eyes were open but he could see nothing. A dark, endless black covered every which way he turned his gaze. Ignoring these signs he moved underneath the sheets, ripped them off and stumbled out onto wood flooring. He outstretched his feathers and made a tentative start forwards, his train –or what was left of it – bumping into objects. He stopped just before the handle of a door, with the fire at his right side when his hand brushed his face.

He frowned as he quietly examined his eyes – closed – by touch alone. Having thought they may have been melted he could sigh in relief that they were indeed intact and untouched. He tried once more, but even as he felt the muscles pull and open the same blank darkness welcomed him.

Irritated he brought his attention back to the door, opening it with ease and setting himself outside. At this point he had no idea what he was doing, besides the very fact that without his eyes he felt suffocated by the room and cornered by the dark.

The air was cool and restless, irregular winds twisted before him where he could feel his robe whip and jostle around. Before he could push further a familiar hand stopped him from pursuing a foolish desire. Immediately his body hardened.

"Where am I?" He spat, his voice sharp. The hoof at his wing tightened. "You're safe."

He shoved his wing away from her, and rested his gaze opposite of her voice.

"I don't _need this_," he hissed. Shen's talons gripped the earth causing the gravel to shift; without his throwing knives he could no longer reassure himself by their sharpness alone.

A period of silence followed this. Chimes tossed in the air. Meanwhile Shen tried desperately to maintain the tension between himself and the Soothsayer. He had reserved a special place for her in his heart; it had worn away as the years drifted and as the exile hardened him beyond his former self. A once bond dissolved, he saw her love as nothing more than a child's illusionary thoughts of finding acceptance in one of the few people he had encountered early in life. He imagined it had been a side effect of caring for a child whose parents considered him weak and most likely to die before his coming of age. Truly, he wanted to prove that he could overcome her predictions – her betrayal –. Now as he stood without sight and without the hope to seize his purpose in this life, it stung more than she could have ever imagined that he owed her more than he could bear to believe.

He could already imagine the words dripping off her lips. _'This is a second chance. Embrace it Shen, please…'_ This was merely another chapter, the second half of dying. Monsters don't simply change, he thought. They lick their wounds, they wait, until their thirst consumes them and they are released into the world with the same hunger. He had killed in cold blood, children, mothers, grandparents; what he had considered mere trivialities in the face of a larger whole appeared horrific in the eyes of the short sighted.

"Come back inside Shen."

"Why?" His voice is just above a whisper. "What makes you think that in a million life times I will decide to give up my goals? And in caring for me you nurture death and destruction instead?" It could have been the morning, or the day, but with the absence of heat he could only assume the night and essentially the abyss that might have inhabited his whereabouts. A village, a city, a hermit's forgotten abode or a prison cell – how should he have known? He could be in Gongmen...

"I decide to live in the present Shen. What happens beyond my reach is up to those who have chosen for themselves, regardless of what it should mean afterwards."

"_Listen_ to yourself. Is this hope and faith you hold on to?" He laughed dryly. "I will **fight** for my birthright. I will _kill_ the Masters to reclaim _my throne_."

With or without sight he could envision her weary response written across her face, in how her horns appeared heavier and harder for her to endure.

"You will die quickly without your sight." She said in a clipped tone. "Find your strength first, or die tonight; the choice is yours."

He listened for her steps as they re-entered the house. He hated the Soothsayer. Rage possessed him; he could easily feel it burst across his chest and infect every bone in his body. How worthless he was, how _cursed_. In spite of her words he started walking, and then began to run as hard as he could. Long blades of grass swept past him, he skimmed through trees and stumbled across streams. Soon the forest became too thick and dense to run without hitting into something. He started to walk again but his legs were too sore, his ribs ached and his lungs felt as though they were burning. Shen's ragged, irregular breath echoed ahead.

He crawled up beside a tree and leaned against it; a cheek against the wet bark. The world beyond him spun, the blood to his head fell, and all he could do was concentrate on each breath. Sucking in the air like water, thirsty. It became meditative, the rage forgotten. Every breath became long and filled his burning lungs until he could not feel the pain that overtook his body, or the muscles that worked each lung. The concentration he had put into their contractions faded away with each fiber, leading him back into that abyss.

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><p>Early morning, the dew appeared and a light mist traveled across the floor. The sun had barely reached the horizon, casting out gold rays and highlighting everything that it could touch. Dark monotones clashed with the prevailing light. Yet the sun could not penetrate through the forest as well as it had along the village, or across its fields. Regardless, finding Shen was a text book finding.<p>

His scent remained fresh even if the dew tended to mess with smells. The lighting was off but the peacock was an easy sight. His head had fallen where it was placed, instinctively tucked underneath his wing, his body curled about as though he should really be in a nest and not beside the trunk of an aging tree. Anyways, the peacock wasn't too far from the house.

The dark wolf continued until he was standing just before his former master. A look of indifference held his one-eyed face, a twitch of annoyance pulled his ears closer to his head. Crouching, his hands went on the sleeping peacock and started to shake him.

"Shen. Shen, wake up." He was trying to be gentle, but gentle wasn't giving him a response. With a growl he violently shook the peacock until an audible squawk ripped through the forest. His former master startled as his wings had raised and his train split open, forcing Wolf Boss back, unbalanced. Quickly, he had his back to the ground with the scowling bird's talon gripped against his throat; he burst out laughing.

"Wh-Who dares-." Shen's exasperated voice stuttered to a close as the laughter erupted underneath him. "Good morning." Wolf quipped. He shoved the talon off the base of his throat, the grip having since gone slack. He got up and briefly gripped his throat before giving Shen a one-eyed look. It was obvious enough that Shen couldn't really see, his gaze wasn't focused and seemed to be searching for something that just wasn't quite there. Wolf wasn't sure if he should feel any amount of sadness for the fowl, whether it should have been pity or grief. Regardless, Shen appeared far better than Wolf's previous visits. "There's breakfast, you know." He shrugged out of habit as he walked ahead.

"You… but you-." Wolf held a toothy grin as he stopped and watch Shen process the information. "I know, right? I'm pretty sure you meant to deal with me later and all, but… well, shit happens." Wolf's words became increasingly rigid and tense. A small sigh rolled out between his lips before he finally turned around. "Well I'm getting breakfast."

"Wait." His ears perked, as his eyes whipped around again to see Shen's hands outstretched, each step he took uncertain and slow. He'd most likely get lost, Wolf thought, it would literally take him hours to reach the house despite being less than half a mile away. He was about to offer – like old times, always keen to serve the needs of his master – but decided against that. No, he'd rather wait and hear it for himself. Would Shen really be that stubborn? Wolf Boss did not doubt it, in fact he expected it above all things. Shen did not lose easily, or gracefully.

"Lead me to the house." Wolf's eyes narrowed; silence his answer. He could see it in Shen, that pompous, snotty, higher than thou rise of his head. The tilt that indicated he was waiting and having to make Shen wait was never a good sign. Wolf half expected a smirk to top it off, but the bird seemed to have enough sense inside him to hold it.

"That's it; you're on your own." He turned and started. He could hear the hiss underneath Shen's breath, but couldn't discern the words he had mumbled to himself. Wolf was fine with that, he didn't care.

Before he exited the clearing he gazed back. Shen had done well with sound alone; there was enough grass that a lot of noise could be discerned from its movement. Even so Wolf Boss grinned, satisfied as Shen wandered aimlessly in the wrong direction.

Somehow the old bird found the house.

There was a rapid knock on the door. When Wolf Boss opened it he saw a group of worried hare children and an irritated Shen waiting behind them. They were convinced Shen would curse them otherwise, that he was indeed an incarnate of the phoenix and would use their eyes for himself should they not offer their services. It never occurred to them why the phoenix FengHuang would want to harm them. Especially since the creature thrived in peaceful, happy areas. Shen was anything but these.

As Shen meandered through the door, the children hesitated. Wolf Boss rolled his eyes. "You're fine. He's not going to _curse_ anyone."

"But he said he'd take our eyes!" One squealed.

"And eat our little, pitiful souls so he could see again…" Another wide-eyed child mumbled.

"Listen, you brought him where he wanted. So nothing's going to happen to your eyes or your souls… okay?" Reluctantly the children left, and Wolf Boss found himself in the company of Shen.

"Well that was brilliant." His sarcasm ended in a growl.

"You'll have the whole town after us, seeing how you've already terrorized some of the local children."

"You abandoned me. So, I found an alternative solution."

"You could have just asked." Shen snorted – glared in the wrong spot – and followed the walls into the next room, the kitchen. Wolf followed after Shen and leaned on the doorway.

"Is it really that hard for you? After all I've-."

"-done?" Shen was staring at the wall, narrowed eyes and all to emphasize his accusation.

"What did you do exactly? Hm?" Shen paused, "_Nothing_."

"Is that what you really think Shen?" A low huff parted Wolf's lips, his disbelief stinging the air as he walked away.

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><p>Two days passed.<p>

Shen sat in the kitchen alone quietly drinking down the soup that the Soothsayer had prepared. She was absent most of the time and appeared to be quite popular in the village. Her expertise - besides fortune telling – was valued, especially in the healing arts.

Wolf Boss however often worked in the garden, large enough that he would spend most of the hours of the day there.

Meanwhile Shen was left to his own devices, which wasn't much. He never went out of the house, let alone in the garden. He took it upon himself to map the house out when he finally became too bored contemplating how he might reinstate his rule over Gongmen. And when he'd walked about the house more than a dozen times he grew anxious. Naturally he enjoyed the silence; however he could no longer stand its presence when all he could think about was his failures.

After a week he ventured the garden, sticking close to the house and trying to focus on the sounds of Wolf Boss as he tended it. Finding a spot where the sun could reach he sat down in silence, until his curiosity, which had been gnawing him from the inside broke out.

"Is this what you wanted, a simple life, a gardener's life?" Shen frowned. It took Wolf a few seconds to recognize that the fowl had finally made it out of his cave, and was actually speaking to him. He stopped turning the soil.

"No…" His response was flat, matter-of-fact as he took a moment to regard the misplaced direction in Shen's steady eyes. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Do you crave it?" Wolf felt uncomfortable, feeling a twist to his gut and breathing in sharply to maintain a clear mind. Regardless he understood his desires, dreams, and the lust for power and dominion. His nose twitched, a snarl wanted to form on his face; he refused to allow its reaction possess him so quickly. When he didn't answer Shen tilted his head away and smiled. His gaze appeared drawn in, contemplative despite having lost his sight entirely; the movements, the intentions were all the same. "_My old friend…_" Every muscle went stiff as Wolf Boss dug his eyes into the soil. "…_we_ haven't changed one bit."

"Perhaps I haven't." Wolf paused. "Maybe you're right… and even if we had enough time, would it be worth it all spent killing? My bloodlust is a curse, and I will reap its consequences everyday in this garden." His paw tightened on the shovel.

"You're lost." Inwardly Wolf flinched. Shen's words were no longer endearing as they once were a few moments ago, eerie as they pinched his nerves. He could hear pain, so very faint etching out from his beak. "You were once a _warrior_, a _leader_ of wolves and you've settled to repress your natural instincts?"

"The same wolves you would have me kill!" He ignored the shovel as it fell, as he shoved the smug and frail creature down and against the house wall. His right hand held Shen's neck to the ground, his head crooked as it pressed against the hut. Somehow he could ignore the flailing talons, stifling the sharp pain as they cut and scratched his legs until he pinned them underneath his own hind legs. Wolf was feral, his hackles raised and spiked, teeth clenched and glistening with a yellow-white death. "What leader condemns his men to certain death? Without even thinking about it? Huh? A warrior? Warriors have values, a code, we have none. It all dissolved _a long time ago_. There's nothing to salvage, not even our souls."

"You understood the risks, their consequences. Do you honestly believe that great conquerors and kings live by a moral code? You, most of all, should know that _simple_ truth." The low growl did not intimidate Shen, even as his lungs labored and his heart wearily pressed harder with each beat.

The silence was unbearable for Wolf Boss. He did understand; he knew them well enough to exploit everything that had once come to him and his men. The black wolf's grip went slack; his features soften as he stepped away and moved further into the large garden.

And beyond that garden was a forest, from that forest mountains hit the horizon. It was cold there.

Wolf Boss did not return that night.

As Shen stumbled into the kitchen the next morning the Soothsayer watched him closely. He was still angry at her, his resentment prevented him from reaching out to her; especially now as he recognized the shift in their relationship from one being almost maternal in nature towards that of strangers. The Soothsayer had become an outsider. The small attachment he had held on to for so long, no matter how repressed appeared to have finally died and started to slough off.

It hurt. It was a perverse feeling that had added fuel for his loathing, rekindling past memories of his inadequacy as a child and essentially as an heir to the throne. It stung to know his mother, infertile as she was claimed to be underneath hushed voices, tried, and tried to have more offspring. Or the disinterest in suitors that would eventually unravel in cruel ways or in quick sharp jabs. There were no others like him, he was alone, he thought he understood this well.

"Someone is coming in today." She was tired. "She will help you adjust to your condition." He would never see the sun rise and set, or the multicolored canvass of the sky. Shen bristled. "I don't _need_ help. I'm fine." He wanted to leave the kitchen. "She has several methods that might help your eyes." Shen scoffed. "Methods that you do not currently possess?"

"She is a pupil of mine. Given your irritability and isolation I thought it was appropriate."

"Am I nothing more than some experiment on your behalf?"

"Why do you twist my words so?" He couldn't discern her concern, or the hurt that seemed to have hid underneath her fatigue. She wanted to hold him like before; a child in her arms. Or reach a firm and steady hand to repel these invading thoughts swarming into his head.

"What would you have me believe? Obviously you're trying to _change_ my ways. Taking the effort to bring me back to health clearly serves a purpose for your 'infinite care'. I'm not a child anymore; I'm not your ward." Her seat creaked as she adjusted herself, holding the bowl to her lips.

"She will be here in an hour."

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed that. This new character won't last long; the only purpose she'll serve is to accentuate what's happening to Shen emotionally and spiritually. :3 There will be a second part to this one for sure, I hope you guys don't mind that? I'm always wary of OCs.<strong>

**Please review or comment, you're feedback helps me with these drabbles and I'd love to hear what you guys think about these. :3 **

**I usually write to music, and three songs in particular came out. I really thought they suited Shen's and Wolf Boss' relationship at the time, if you're curious? :P **

**They're off the 'Being Human' soundtrack:**

**My Old Friend – We Are The City**

**Skin & Bones – David J. Roch**

**A House, A home – The alialujah choir**

**And does anyone else see a similarity between Loki from Thor and Shen? Anywho…**

**~R.R Rue**


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